Rich history at Troy invitational

BRUNSWICK – Three-time Troy Invitational champion Matt Clarke came within one stroke of a playoff last year, proving experience on the Walter Travis layout is invaluable.

“It’s a grind and you’ve got to put your time and your mental energy into it,” said Clarke, 53. The CC of Troy member has an insider’s knowledge that you only get from playing again and again.

“Knowing the golf course helps tremendously,” Clarke said. “Being a member, I’ve played under a number of conditions. We’ve played it spongy, wet spring; brick-dry spring. Last year it changed dramatically from practice round to Sunday afternoon. It’s difficult for people to adjust to that.”

Insiders quietly admit that they lost turf and pushed the greens too far last year but all Superintendent Chris Strong will say is “they were really fast.” The greens had been slow leading up to the Invy because of so much rain so his staff mowed but didn’t double cut.

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“We had 20 inches of rain over a month period and we had to try to do some different things,” Strong said.

“There’s a long history of this tournament,” Clarke said. “The first champion was a prominent national player,” referring to Jesse Sweetser, who won it in 1934, the same year the Masters Tournament began.

“Sweetser was unique guy,” Clarke said. “He won an NCAA Individual Championship, a British Am, a U.S. Am and played in the Masters…it’s great to have the first champion that prominent.”

Clarke also pointed to 2005 champion Brett Stegmaier who played in last week’s U.S. Open. He shot 77-74 (+11) to miss the cut at Pinehurst #2. Stegmaier won the SEC Championship as a freshman at the University of Florida but was slipping.

“Brett Stegmaier played once and won but he was the number two golfer at the University of Florida so you’re talking about a level of guy that’s different from us,” said Tournament Chairman Dave Mooradian.

“It’s always a feather that I was able to beat everybody there that week,” said Don DeNyse III, who won it in 2011 as a Siena junior.